The present invention relates to a clipping machine for partitioning and closing a tubular packaging casing accommodating a filing material.
In particular, the invention concerns a clipping machine for partitioning and closing a tubular packaging casing accommodating a filing material, in particular sausage meat, with at least a first and second displacer element pair. The displacer element pairs are arranged axially one after the other in relation to an axis of the tubular packaging casing, and comprise each an upper displacer element and a lower displacer element.
The displacer elements are linearly reversibly movable in a first and second plane from an open position, in which the displacer elements are in a maximum displacement to each other, to a closed position, in which the displacer elements are in a nearly minimum displacement to each other. Furthermore, the clipping machine also comprises a first linear guidance comprising at least a first and second guiding rod for guiding the two pairs of the displacer elements in the first and second plane during their reversible linear movement from the open position to the closed position. Also, a first drive mechanism for reversibly moving both pairs of the displacer elements from the open position to the closed position is being provided.
It is the usual practice in sausage production, to use for example automatic clipping machines for filling e.g. sausage meat via a filling tube into a flexible packaging material, like a tubular casing which is closed by a closure means, referred to as closing clip, at the first end. After the filling operation is concluded, a gathered plait-like portion, which is free of filling material, is formed by a displacer unit. Two more clips are then applied to that plait-like portion by a closing means. A first closing clip is applied to close the second end of the filled packaging material and a second closing clip is applied for closing the first end of the subsequent sausage product. Thereafter, said plait-like portion is severed between said two clips creating one complete sausage product and packaging material closed at its first end to be filled, in order to form the next sausage product. Such a practice for producing sausages is disclosed, for example, by EP-patent 1 886 573 B1.
In the production of sausage-shaped products, the design and size of clipping machines are very important. The smaller and compact a clipping machine the closer these clipping machines can be placed to the auxiliary machines, such as meat cutters or others. Also, the smaller and compact a clipping machine the more clipping machines can be fitted at a single production area.
However, clipping machines according to the prior art are not very compact and occupy a lot of space which could be used otherwise in the production area. Also, these spacious clipping machines are at the same time very heavy and therefore difficult to transport or just to move around the shop floor.